In her defense
by KDMarie
Summary: Brathan. Brooke and Nathan fall for each other after turning to one another during their heartbreak. But can they make it as a couple? Exspecially once Nathan's fate soon becomes way to familiar. Lucas, Peyton and Rachel are also in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Brooke Davis lost a lot that summer. She found out her best friend had been sleeping with her boyfriend. Her parents decided to move to L.A, leaving her to fend for herself. Her and Rachel got a townhouse together but neither of them were ready for the adult responsibilities. Brooke finds comfort in alcohol, leaving one person to help her pick up the broken pieces.

This story will bounce back and forth between past and present. The past parts are not in chronological order, rather just pieces of the past.

**Chapter One**

"_I think you should have this back, Nathan…" Haley said holding out the colorful plastic bracelet. _

"_Keep it Hales it's yours" Nathan replied pushing her hand back. She shook her head, looking up at the gloomy sky. _

"_It was mine… when it meant something. But now it's just a reminder of what could have been and what never will be" she whispered, fighting back tears. "And before we get into another fight about it… I know this was all my decision…but what was I supposed to do? Give up my dream for my marriage that was already way beyond fixing?" _

"_It wouldn't have been broken in the first place if you hadn't left…" Nathan shock back quickly, looking away at the river. _

"_Let's not do this again… I'm on tour again Nathan… and I probably wont be back… I might visit but there's nothing for me here anymore…" She whispered placing the bracelet in his hand again. "I want you to give that to the next girl who steals your heart… because she'll be who you're really supposed to be with Nathan…" Nathan looked up at her and nodded his head slowly. She turned around._

_---_

"_Thought I'd find you here…." Lucas said walking up behind Brooke. He looked out over the River as he sat next to her on the bench._

"_What are you doing here?" Brooke replied, quickly whipping her tears away. Lucas sighed, looking over at her. _

"_I'm sorry Brooke…" he whispered for what seemed like the hundredth time. _

"_Yeah well sorry doesn't change much does it…" she shot back grabbing her purse. She slid off the bench and started towards her car. _

"_Brooke please… talk to me. Talk to Peyton. Don't shut us out" Lucas followed after her. _

"_Don't shut out the two people who betrayed me the most?" Brooke yelled, turning to face him. "You guys snuck around behind my back for months and thought it was alright? I hate both of you…. I swear… I wish I never had to see either of you again. But here's the sad part. That can't happen. Because that slut of bestfriend of mine is on my cheerleading team…. And my ex—boyfriend happens to play for the team we cheer for. So every day of my life I get to wake up knowing I'll get to see Lucas and Peyton … together… and that Lucas, that makes me sick" She screamed, tears pouring down her face. _

"_Brooke…" Lucas shouted after her. _

"_LEAVE ME ALONE!" She cried climbing into her and car and speeding off. _

---

Brooke sat on the swing with a bottle of vodka in her hands. She couldn't even keep her balance but she kept taking more and more shots. She was at one of Nathan's happening parties when she saw Lucas and Peyton making out on the couch. Even though it had been a few months since she originally found out the two were together she still felt like her heart had been ripped out and stepped on. Tears poured down her face as she tried to stand up, falling over instead. Her bottle rolled a few feet in front of her before it was stopped by a foot a few feet in front of her. She looked up but couldn't see who stood over her. She rolled over on her back and fought her eyes shutting.

"Someone should have cut you off a long time ago…" Nathan said leaning down over her. Brooke didn't answer, she mumbled something before her body went limp. "Brooke…." He said grabbing her arm and pulling her up.

"Where's the bar?" she slurred, wrapping her arms around him. Nathan laughed, lifting her up.

"The bar is closed…" he replied carrying her towards his parents beach house. "Who did you come with?"

"Rach…el"

"Well Rachel left… awhile ago with some guy. What about Peyton? She's still here…." He asked setting her down on the lawn chair.

"Screw Peyton… just like she was screwing Lucas…." Brooke practically yelled, falling forward. He caught her, holding her up. "Nathan… screw this…" she whispered touching her heart. "It hurts too much…" tears started falling from her eyes and for the first time in Nathan's life he was seeing Brooke as a real person, with real feelings.

"I know…. Haley left today…." He whispered, still holding her up. Brooke nodded, touching his heart.

"Ouch…" she replied leaning in towards him. "Well here's to broken hearts…" she whispered, closing her eyes. "Hearts …. They get broken more then… then it's even worth…" she trailed off. Nathan wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Maybe we just give our hearts to the wrong people…" he said watching as Brooke drifted into a drunken sleep. She stirred, opening her eyes and looking up at him.

"Can I sleep… drive me home…pleas…e" she moaned.

"I'll carry you upstairs. You can sleep in my bed…" Nathan replied lifting her up and carrying her towards the back entrance. He walked up the stairs and laid her in his bed, pulling his covers over her tiny frame. "Goodnight Brooke" he whispered kissing her forehead softly.

"Goodnight brother from another mother" she slurred, her eyes closing instantly. Nathan watched as she slept before he made his way down to the party.

---

"_Why does she always have to act like that?" Haley whispered to Nathan, pointing towards Brooke, who was dancing on top of one of his parents beach house tables. She was clearly wasted, again. There hadn't been a day since she'd found out about Lucas and Peyton that she wasn't drunk. _

"_She's going through a rough time…" Nathan replied, defending the girl he never really considered a close friend. The two of them had more in common then he had ever realized. Haley had cheated on him with Chris, Lucas cheated on her with Peyton. The only difference was Nathan forgave Haley and Lucas did want forgiveness. _

"_Well someone needs to help the girl… because the rate she's going she's going to end up dead" Haley groaned, walking away from Nathan and heading towards the living room. Nathan waited until she was completely out of sight before he made his way over to Brooke. She was dancing around the table of guys, giving every one of them a clear view up her short skirt. Their hands devoured her body, touching ever inch of skin she was willing to show. _

"_Hey… Brooke…" Nathan yelled over the loud music, pushing his way next to the table. "Brooke!" He yelled louder. She slowly turned around, her smile growing larger. _

"_Brother from another mother!" she sang, dancing closer to him. She stumbled, nearly falling off the edge of the table. "Does Nathan want a dance…" she asked shaking her ass in his face. He placed his hands on her hips, pushing her down so that her skirt was no longer an up skirt viewing party. _

"_Let's get you down from here …" He whispered into her ear. She looked at him with a pathetic look on her face and shook her head no. Pushing herself back up and throwing her hands up. _

"_Rock on! Rock on! Rock on!" Brooke screamed, singing along with the rap song Skills was playing. Nathan watched as more guys hands grabbed her legs, her arms, her thighs. _

"_Hey! Back off!" Nathan yelled, lurching towards the guy who had just clearly stuck his hand up Brooke's skirt. _

"_Man… get the fuck out of my face…." He said shoving Nathan backwards. "She obviously wants it or else she wouldn't be dancing around like a slut…" Nathan stepped towards him again, punching him in the face. _

"_Nate!" Haley yelled coming in from the living room. "Let go of him!" she cried trying to pry his hands from the other guys neck. Lucas and Peyton soon joined them. _

"_Let go man" Lucas said pulling him up away from the other guy. _

"_Let go of me!" Nathan screamed, lurching towards the guy again but Lucas held on tight. _

"_What is wrong with you?" Haley asked, getting in Nathan's face. He ignored her, his eyes going past her and towards Brooke, who stood still on the table. She swayed back and forth until she finally fell, landing on the floor in front of her. _

"_Oh my god!" Peyton cried, instantly going to her side. "Brooke!" Brooke didn't respond, her eyes were rolled in the back of her head. "Someone call 911!" _

"_No!" Nathan said pushing Lucas away from him. "She'll get in trouble and so will everyone here…" _

"_He's right… we'll all get nailed for underage drinking… even though some of us aren't even drinking" Haley added looking down at Nathan who was picking Brooke up. _

"_I'll take her…" Lucas said reaching out for his ex-girlfriend. Nathan looked at him slowly, not wanting to give her to him but knowing if he didn't he'd have hell to pay from Haley. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Nathan stared at the ceiling as he laid on his bedroom floor. He opted for the floor considering Brooke was sleeping in his bed. There had been a few nights, years ago, that Haley had slept in his bed and he would take the floor to make her feel comfortable. Always the nice guy, but most considered him a jerk, an asshole, a mini version of Dan. He was the complete opposite. He cared about people with a passion but had always been scared of being burned. Haley was the first person he opened up too. He sighed, thinking of how horribly that had ended.

"Nathan..." Brooke's whisper broke his thoughts. "Nate…" she moaned again. He sat up and looked towards her in the darkened room.

"I'm right here… what's up?" He asked rubbing his eyes. It was already 3:30 and he was exhausted.

"I think…" she mumbled. "I think I'm going …going to be sick…" She sat up and stumbled out of bed. She tried to find her footing, but she fell, smacking into a dresser.

"Hang on… let me get the lights" Nathan said walking towards the door.

"I'm sorry…" Brooke cried, tears hitting her face. She couldn't hold it in. She leaned over and started throwing up all over his floor. Nathan flipped the lights on and almost puked at the sight of her, puke dripping down her arms and legs. She bent over further, heaving again. "Nathan…" she sobbed now. "I'm sorry" Nathan walked over to her and knelt down beside her, making sure to stay clear from the puke.

"It's okay…" he whispered grabbing her hair and holding it back. "You're fine…" He sat with her until she was done. "Why don't you go take a shower?" he suggested, helping her up. She looked at him, her eyes red and puffy.

"Okay…" her voice cracked. He helped her keep steady, walking her to the bathroom.

"Just yell for me if you need anything…" he told her, closing the door behind him.

---

_His marriage was falling apart, again. Haley had only been back in Tree Hill a few months when he realized her heart was still on tour. He had forgiven her for cheating on him with Chris because he truly loved her but more and more each day he was beginning to see that their marriage was not something that could be saved. He had to let her go. _

"_Need any company?" Brooke asked walking up behind him, bouncing his basketball against the blacktop._

"_Hey Brooke… how you feeling?" He asked sticking his hands out for her to pass the ball to him. _

"_Besides hung over? Embarrassed…" She whispered throwing the ball into his hands. Nathan smirked. "Okay… laugh it up now… But it seemed like a good idea last night…" She said with a smile._

"_Hey… I didn't mind Brooke and Rachel making out in my hot tube one bit…" He said throwing the ball up to the basket. "I just wish you hadn't been so drunk…" he added. She nodded, looking out over the river. _

"_Things have just been hard to deal with I guess. I was never one for healthy healing…" she whispered wrapping her arms around her body. "But I'm sorry if I caused any problems… between like… you and Haley" Nathan shrugged. It hadn't been her fault. Haley didn't like the fact that Nathan had watched the two girls make out. But he didn't care anymore. _

"_You didn't cause any problems…" he told her passing her the ball. "Me and her are just one big problem…" Brooke frowned, taking a lame ass shot. Nathan laughed, chasing the ball down. _

"_Is that what you call a jump shot?" He asked passing the ball back to her. "Try again…" he said coming up behind her. "But stick your arms out like this, and push your hips down more" he said putting his hands on her hips. Brooke's heart skipped a beat as his hand graced her bare side. "And shot" he whispered, taken aback by the softness of her skin. Brooke shot again, this time making it closer to the basket, but not in. "Good try…" _

"_Thanks…" Brooke whispered turning around to face him. Their lips were inches from each other. Brooke looked deep into his eyes. She leaned forward, their lips meeting in a soft, simple kiss. Nathan's heart began to race as he felt her hand gently grab the side of his shirt. He wrapped his arm around her waist, again touching the bare skin and pushed her closer. His tongue slowly made its way into her mouth. "Mmmm" Brooke moaned, bringing her hand up to the back of his neck. His other hand went behind her neck, pushing her face even more into his. _

"_Brooke…" He whispered between their intense kisses. She looked up at pulled away. _

"_I'm so sorry Nathan…" she whispered, tears hitting her cheeks instantly. "I… I got to…" she turned around and took off running towards her car. _

---

"Nate…" Brooke whispered as he tucked her back into bed. Her wet hair fanned the pillow.

"Mmmm" Nathan answered, grabbing another blanket.

"Will you lay with me?" She asked innocently, her eyes closed tight leaving only her mouth to move. "Lucas…. He used to lay with me when I got sick…. It always made me feel… better" she added when he gave her no answer.

"Okay" He replied walking around to the other side of the bed and climbing in. He laid, still, next to her. After a few minutes she rolled over, placing her head on his chest and burrowing next to him. She rested her hand next to her face and sighed, closing her eyes again. Nathan didn't move for a moment, expecting her body being so close to feel uncomfortable for him but it never did. It felt natural. He wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her arm softly.

---

"_What's going on with you and Brooke?" Lucas asked his brother after practice. Nathan whipped the sweat off his face with a towel._

"_What are you talking about?" Nathan replied, throwing the towel in the bin. _

"_You two seem really close lately…. and…" Lucas paused "Look Brooke is hot…. And she has that whole mysterious girl act going pretty well but don't let her ruin what you and Haley have." _

"_And what is it that Haley and I have? A broken marriage at the age of 17?" Nathan shot back offended that Lucas was questioning his relationship with Brooke. "Brooke just needs a friend considering what all her other friends have done to her recently…"_

"_That's completely fair… but I know better then anyone what it's like to fall in love with the girl who needs a friend… Look at me and Peyton" Lucas told him. Nathan shook his head. _

"_What you did was completely different. You never wanted Brooke, you settled for her. You always wanted Peyton." Nathan answered coldly. _

"_Look I'm just looking out for you… Brooke isn't worth losing your marriage" _

"_I don't know who you are to decided what Brooke is or isn't.." Nathan replied angrily slamming his gym locker shut. _

"_Hey man you're the one getting so defensive" Lucas pointed out. Nathan rolled his eyes, grabbing his bag._

"_Someone needs to defend the girl…" Nathan shot back exiting the locker room. _

---

Brooke made her way down the hall and stopped at Lucas's locker. She needed to talk to him. This weekend had been another, blurry, drunken mess. She spotted Lucas making his way down the hall and her heart started racing. She played with her notebook spiral as she waited for him to get closer.

"Hey Brooke. How are you?" Lucas asked as he made his way to his locker. She smiled a weak smile stepping aside so he could open it.

"I thought… we could talk. We haven't really talked since….ya know… and I thought maybe we could skip lunch and go out to my car?" she asked, her voice cracking. Lucas grabbed a few books and nodded slowly.

"Yeah… that would be cool" He said closing his locked. He followed Brooke to the main exit and towards her car. "Do you wanna go grab lunch?" He asked.

"Sure…" she said handing him her car keys. She loved it when he drove her car. They climbed in, put the top down and headed out of the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Brooke watched as Lucas ordered their lunches from the drive-though. He always knew what to order for her which was something she found comfort in. He smiled at her as he pulled her car around to pay.

"So… you wanted to talk.." he pointed out handing her the bag of food and taking off towards the school.

"I just…." She paused, biting her lip. "I really miss you Lucas…" Tears began to water up in her eyes. Lucas sighed, turning into the parking lot.

"Brooke… please don't do this to me… or yourself…" He whispered, his voice gentle and sincere. "I care about you a lot… but we'll never be the way we were…" He watched as she looked out the window, obviously trying to hide her tears. "If you need to talk… or anything I'm always here Pretty Girl…" he added. Brooke couldn't hold back her sobs anymore. She placed her head into her hands and sobbed hard, her entire body shaking.

"I loved you so much… and you just gave it all up…" She sobbed loudly, looking up at him. Tears were pouring down her face and her make up was running.

"Calm down Brooke… this isn't good for you" he told her, reaching out to touch her arm. She jerked away from him.

"You broke me Scott…" she whispered. Lucas shook his head. She was calling him Scott, which was supposed to mean she no longer considered him a friend.

"I have to go…" Lucas said taking the seat belt off and opening the door. Brooke jumped out of her seat, grabbing his arm.

"Lucas… please…" she sobbed even harder. Lucas shook his head no, pushing her away. Her body collapsed in the drivers seat. "Yeah… walk away like you always do…" she screamed, putting the car in drive and flying out of the parking lot.

---

_Brooke knocked on Nathan's bedroom door, Dan had let her in. There was loud music coming from inside so she slowly opened the door. _

"_Nathan?" She practically screamed over the music. He looked up from his desk and instantly tuned down the music. _

"_Hey what's up?" He asked shutting his laptop. _

"_Where you just looking at porn?" She asked with a smirk. Nathan blushed but played it off. _

"_Yeah … it's been awhile since I've gotten some…" he replied watching as she took a seat on his bed. "So what's up?" _

"_Honestly?" she laughed. "I'm just really bored…" Nathan smiled, spinning around in his desk chair. _

"_And you, Brooke Davis, came over to my house because you were bored?" he asked eating this up._

"_Well… you've been a really good friend lately. So I figured I'd be a good friend back. I heard about you and Haley…" she trialed off. "I'm really sorry" _

"_Yeah… It's ok. I knew it wasn't going to work out" He answered simply. Brooke nodded, looking around his room. _

"_So do you wanna go to the movies or something? Or …" Brooke paused realizing they probably shouldn't been seen in public together. "Do you have on-demand? We could just rent a movie…" Nathan nodded, moving from his chair to his bed, sitting down behind her, resting his head against the head board. _

"_You're gonna have to scoot back big head…" he joked, aiming the remote at her head. She blushed, moving back so she was next to him. _

"_What no popcorn?" she asked raising her eye brow. _

"_I don't think we have any…" he replied picking up his phone. "But we can order pizza…" Brooke nodded, grabbing the remote from him determined to find a good, chick flick._

---

"Hottie-Scottie" Rachel said coming up behind Nathan after cheer practice. "Have you seen this girl… her name is Brooke. She's about yay tall. Super sexy? She's been M.I.A all afternoon and not showing to her team practice is a little unlike her" Nathan shook his head no, grabbing his gym bag.

"Haven't seen her all day…" he replied walking towards the gym exit.

"Are you going to that party tonight?" Rachel asked following him like a puppy dog.

"I might…" Nathan said pushing the door open.

"Well I think me and Brooke are going" she added, slapping his ass as she walked past him. Nathan rolled his eyes, heading towards his car.

"Nathan!" Peyton called after him once he was about to open his car door. Nathan sighed, turning around and greeting just another one of his ex-girlfriends.

"If you're going to ask me where Brooke is … I don't know" he said opening the car door and throwing his bag in the passenger seat.

"I wasn't going to ask…. I know she took off after her Lucas had a blow out in her car" Peyton told him pulling something out of her bag. Nathan scrunched his face, looking at her carefully. "I actually was just gonna give you this card to sign… it's for Skill's birthday… We're having everyone sign it" she told him handing him the card. Nathan took it from her and scribbled a few lines then handed it back to her. "You really care about her don't you?" she finally asked. Nathan sighed, climbing into his car.

"I care about her as a friend…." He growled, backing the car out of the parking space. But even he knew that was a lie. He'd always liked Brooke. He just never thought they'd be close enough for him to pursue her. He pulled out to the main street and headed home.

---

_Brooke stood in Nathan's embrace, her tears landing on his shirt. She had just found out that her mom was in a car accident. She had no way of getting to L.A so she was stuck waiting to hear from her father on her condition. Nathan rocked her gently, rubbing her back with his hands. _

"_You know… if you would have asked me last night if I missed my parents I would have told you no…but now that there's a chance I may never see her again… it hurts so bad" she whispered into his chest. Nathan nodded his head, understanding her every world. "Thank you for being such a good friend…" she whispered looking up at him. Their eyes meet and it was like that day at the river court. _

"_I want you to listen to something…" he whispered, letting go of her warm body and grabbing his laptop. "It's a song… that every time I hear it … I think of you" he said pulling up his itunes program. Brooke smiled through the tears, finding his words comforting. He pressed play and the song started coming from his speakers. He took Brooke back into his arms and danced with her, slowly, back and forth. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to the words._

_**If I don't say this now I will surely break  
As I'm leaving the one I want to take  
Forgive the urgency but hurry up and wait  
My heart has started to separate  
**_

_She looked up into his eyes and was lost in his passion. His true heart that was so sincere. He smiled at her, reaching down and touching her face, pulling her lips to his and kissing her softly. She responded by placing her hand on his shirt, tugging it up a little bit to reveal his chiseled abs. _

_**  
Oh, oh,  
Be my baby  
Ohhhhh  
Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you  
**_

_Nathan responded by walking towards his bed, laying her down on the edge and lifting his shirt over his head. Brooke smiled, leaning back and looking up at the guy who so quickly became her bestfriend. She reached up to undo his belt. _

_  
__**There now, steady love, so few come and don't go  
Will you won't you, be the one I'll always know  
When I'm losing my control, the city spins around  
You're the only one who knows, you slow it down**_

"_Are you sure?" he whispered, reaching down to pull her shirt over her head. She nodded, unable to speak. He lifted her shirt over her head and pushed her down, slipping his jeans off. His hands explored her bare thighs, as he undid her skirt. _

"_Nathan…" she whispered looking down at him. _

"_Yeah…" he replied looking up at her. _

"_Don't break my heart…" she whispered. He nodded, kissing her breasts softly. He pulled her closer, about to enter her. _

_  
__**Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
Ohhhhhh  
Oh, oh  
Be my Baby  
I'll look after you  
And I'll look after you**_

_She took a sharp breathe as he pushed into her. She closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasure and sweet kisses of his mouth all over her neck and chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him. Tears began to fall over her eyelids._

"_Why are you crying?" Nathan asked stopping, filling her completely.  
__**  
If ever there was a doubt  
My love she leans into me  
This most assuredly counts  
She says most assuredly**_

"_I think I'm in love with you Nathan…" she whispered. He started going again, keeping his eyes locked with hers, making sure she felt every moment_

"_Don't cry baby…" he whispered, kissing her cheeks, her salty tears entering his mouth. _

_**Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you  
After You  
Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
Ohhhhh**__  
_

_Brooke closed her eyes again, feeling so much pleasure but fearing any pain that might come from this. Guys used her. And she knew it. She was used to it. But she had fallen so quickly for him. She knew she would get hurt. She listened to the lyrics again, as their bodies remained one._

_**  
It's always have and never hold  
You've begun to feel like home  
What's mine is yours to leave or take  
What's mine is yours to make your own  
**_

_Their bodies exploded with pleasure almost at the same time and he fell down on top of her, breathing deeply. He laid next to her, pulling her into his arms. _

"_Brooke Davis…" he whispered in her ear. _

_**  
Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
Ohhhhh  
Oh, oh  
Be my baby  
I'll look after you  
**_

"_You are so beautiful to me" he sang to her. "You are __so__ beautiful to me"._

_  
__**You are so beautiful to me (repeat)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Rachel walked through the front door of her and Brooke's townhouse and cringed at the horrible smell. "Davis! Are you home?" she yelled up the stairs but got no response. She looked around the kitchen. It was disgusting considering two very clean girls lived here. She sighed, grabbing some of the bowls and rinsing them off before putting them in the dishwasher.

"I was going to clean those…" Brooke said coming down the stairs. Rachel jumped, startled by her voice.

"God Davis you scared the crap out of me…" she complained, piling more dishes in. "Hottie-Scottie was so looking for you this afternoon…" she said with a smirk, looking at Brooke for the first time. "Jeez … did you decide looking like shit was going to be fashionable or something?" she asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Me and Lucas got in another fight today…" Brooke said grabbing a beer out of the fridge and sitting down at the island.

"When are you going to stop trying with him Brooke? Because you're starting to look a little desperate…" Rachel replied grabbing her own beer and leaning across the counter towards Brooke. "Besides… Hottie-Scottie is so feeling you…"

"Yeah… well me and Nathan can never be more then friends…" She said taking a swig of beer.

"Why? Like really give me a real reason why you and him can not be together? No bullshit like you always do Davis…" Rachel looked over at her friend with concern.

"Because… he's Nathan Scott and I'm Brooke Davis… we don't go together" she replied looking away. She remember then night they had shared, the night that meant everything to her. But the next day she realized that it had been a mistake. Things weren't that simple in the real world.

"Why?" Rachel asked again not liking the answer she was getting. Brooke began to tear up.

"Because in the real world… not the world in his bedroom, just the two of us… in this real, school, games, parties, world we don't fit together. I'd never live up to what he needs in a girlfriend because of how badly Lucas hurt me…" Brooke explained. "Maybe it doesn't make sense to you but I'm just that easy party girl who sleeps with tons of guys…. I don't deserve the love I know Nathan has to give." Rachel nodded, finishing her beer.

"I think that you need to stop giving Lucas, and the way he hurt you, so much freakin power. He's a jerk. And no offence but look who he ended up with. You're a dime piece. Peyton? She's like less then a penny…" Rachel told her reaching over and shaking her friends arm. Brooke couldn't help but smile at Rachel's "gangsta" analogy of her and Peyton. "And anyways… Lucas is hot, but he's not Nathan Scott hot" she added with a wink.

---

The party was already in full swing by the time Nathan and Skills arrived. There were tons of girls, mostly freshmen and sophomores way to excited to be here. Nathan scanned the room for Rachel or Brooke.

"Boys! Glad you came!" Bevin said coming up behind them, wrapping her arms around Skills and kissing his cheek. "Alcohol is in the garage… there's already a fire going out back… enjoy yourselves…" she said winking at Skills.

"What is it about her that makes me so weak man?" Skills asked looking at Nathan.

"I don't know man… but she has you wrapped around her pinky" Nathan joked, heading towards the garage.

"Where you going?" Skills asked following him.

"I figure Brooke and Rachel aren't too far from the alcohol" Nathan reasoned. They entered the garage and looked around. It was packed with people but Rachel's red hair stuck out. "Hey…" Nathan said grabbing a beer. Rachel smiled, hugging her friends. "Where's Brooke?" he asked noticing she wasn't around. Rachel smiled another big grin.

"You actually just missed her… she went for a walk along the beach…. I'm sure she'd love for you to join her" Rachel told him pointing towards the direction she had just gone. Nathan nodded, heading down towards the beach. It didn't take long for him to spot her. She was sitting not to far from the house, smoking a cigarette.

"Hey…" he said sitting down next to her in the sand and placing his beer next to him. Brooke looked over and smiled.

"Hey yourself…" she replied taking another long drag.

"Not drinking?" He noticed she didn't have a drink near her. She laughed, shooting him a smirk.

"Not tonight…. I decided tonight needs to be a sober night…" she said piercing her lips together and blowing more smoke out of her mouth.

"That's good…" Nathan replied taking another drink of his beer. "So I heard you and Lucas got into another heated battle today…" He looked over at her and watched her face fall to a frown.

"Yeah…" she whispered looking out over the water. "I was just being stupid…. Trying to make him want me back…." Nathan nodded, crossing his arms over his knees. "But it's okay… because I realized that I don't need him back…Brooke Davis doesn't need a guy to be happy…" she said confidently. Nathan smiled.

"There's the old Brooke for you, cocky as a motha-fucka" he smirked.

"Okay… be an asshole then…" she laughed, smacking his arm lightly. "Really though… I think I need to just take some time to be by myself and really just learn to be alone…" she bit her lip a little.

"You don't have to be alone though Brooke….Being independent isn't about being alone" He told her finishing his beer. She looked really beautiful tonight.

"I know… but…" she paused looking at him. "It's hard to explain but I get so scared to be alone… at night it's hard to sleep because I just want somewhere there. And I know that's not healthy because I don't care whose there… and I want to one day care whose laying next to me" she whispered, smiling at him. Nathan put his arm around her and pulled her closer.

"You're gonna be alright B Davis" he whispered, kissing her forehead. Brooke smiled a chessy smile, looking back the water crashing. She leaned into her best friend and couldn't get rid of her grin. Nathan was what made her feel sane. And she couldn't explain to other why they would never be together but she did love him. Nathan looked down at her and smirked. She looked so sweet and innocent.

---

"Have you seen how amazing Brooke has been looking lately?" Skills asked walking into the gym with Lucas and Nathan for practice. The girls were already there practicing their routine for state. Both of them looked up at her, Lucas looking away quickly. Nathan locked eyes with her and she waved, smiling her new classic grin.

"Yeah…. She's really in a different place" Nathan said grabbing a ball and bouncing it. Lucas rolled his eyes, grabbing another ball and taking off towards the net.

"She's so digging on you man…" Skills said waving at Bevin.

"No she's not…" Nathan replied passing the ball to him. "But she has been looking amazing lately…." he noted.

"We should all drive to state together…. It would give me a chance to get to know Bevin better… without looking to hard on…" He said passing the ball back to Nathan to score.

"Yeah… I'll ask Brooke…" Nathan said watching as Lucas bluntly was flirting with Peyton. He glanced over and Brooke who too had seen it. She shrugged, looking back at Nathan and smiling again. She waved him over to her as he ran past her. "What's good B Davis" he said, knowing how much she enjoyed her new nickname.

"So I was thinking you could come over after practice and we could watch that new reality show together" she said scrunching her nose, knowing how much he hated reality tv.

"I guess if it means I get to spend time with B Davis I will" he said reluctantly. She smiled, yet again, and gave him a hug.

"Ok… just come by when you're done here…" she said turning back to practice. Nathan turned around and caught Lucas's glare. He shrugged it off, going back to practice.

---

"_Hey Rachel" Nathan said walking into the girls townhouse. _

"_Wow… Hottie-Scottie doesn't know how to use the door bell?" Rachel said looking up from her magazine. Nathan rolled his eyes, helping himself to a beer. _

"_Where's Brooke at?" he asked leaning against the counter. _

"_Last I checked she was outside swimming….." Rachel said frowning. "And to think, I thought you were coming to see me…." She said slapping his ass as he walked past her. Nathan looked out the sliding glass door into their small backyard that they insisted was large enough for a pool. Brooke was laying on one of the lawn chairs. _

"_Maybe next week Red…." He said opening the door, the warm hitting his face. He made his way down the stairs and onto the pool deck. "Hey Brooke…" he said standing over her. _

"_Move…. You're blocking my sun" she said pushing him out of the way. Nathan stood back, confused. _

"_Someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Nathan shot back sitting down on the bench next to her. Brooke rolled her eyes, looking up at him through squinted eyes. _

"_If you thought one night of meaningless sex was going to change our friendship you were wrong…" she said bitterly. Nathan looked at her as though she had slapped him. _

"_I didn't think that it had changed our friendship… but clearly I was wrong…" He said standing up. _

"_Guess you were wrong brother from another mother…" Brooke said closing her eyes and sticking her chin up. Nathan looked down at her and shook his head. She waited until he was gone before she stopped fighting back the tears._

_---_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Haley James made her way through the packed airport. She had sunglasses to avoid being recognized but she felt silly now because this was not L.A. She slid them off her face and headed towards the arrivals pick up.

"Haley…." Lucas said reaching out for his best friend. "It's been far too long" he said pulling her into a hug.

"I know… God the tour has been so crazy … I feel like I've been gone for years" she said wrapping her arms around her bestfriend. She'd missed Tree Hill more then she thought she was going to.

"Well I have a lot planned for us… starting with a stop by the café" Lucas said, pulling the car out of the parking lot. Haley stared out the window, thinking of everything she left behind. The life she left behind. "You alright?" Lucas finally asked pulling into a parking space next to the café. Haley looked back to him nodding her head.

"Yeah…" she said exhaling. "Just realizing how different everything is now" she whispered, reaching out for Lucas's hand. "Thank you for standing by me through all of this…"

"I'd never do anything else but stand by you Hales" Lucas said kissing her hand softly.

"I just wish I would have been able to save my marriage…" she whispered looking away. Tears began to run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I hadn't planned on being this emotional…" she laughed, wiping them quickly.

"I'm here … Talk to me" Lucas whispered. Haley nodded, biting her lip.

"I miss him Lucas…. So much…" she cried, putting her head down and letting the tears fall freely.

"Come here Hales…" Lucas said reaching across the seat and pulling her into the middle. "It's gonna be okay…" he whispered, wrapping an arm around her.

---

Brooke walked towards the river court and spotted Nathan, along with several others, right away. She smiled, watching as Nathan stole the ball and took off towards the net.

"Hey sexy…" Tim said, coming up to Brooke and putting his arm around her. Brooke pushed it off quickly, with a look of disgust on her face.

"Tim…. Sweetie, we've talk about this… you may look… but do not touch" She said with a smirk. Nathan laughed coming up behind them.

"What are you doing here?" He asked putting his arm around her shoulder and looking back at Tim.

"How come it works when Nathan does it?" Tim asked, but Brooke ignored him laughing.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go shopping with me. I need to get a dress for this party me and Rachel are throwing this weekend. And I thought we could grab lunch too or something" Brooke said wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Brooke you have like a million dresses in your closet, why cant you wear one of those?" Nathan asked rolling his eyes.

"Because… I want to look really good. I've been feeling good about myself lately and I want to show it off" she said giving him pleading eyes. "Please…" she whispered, giving him a puppy dog face,

"Alright… give me 10 minutes to finish this game?" he said, kissing her forehead and turning back towards the court. Brooke smiled, sitting next to Mouth on the bench and watching Nathan play.

---

Haley pulled her rental car up next to Nathan's which was parked in the Tree Hill High parking lot. She shut her car off and watched as some of the basketball team made their way out of the side exit. Nathan finally appeared and she took a deep breath, climbing out of her car and leaning against it, waiting patiently.

"Hey Nathan…" she finally said, as he came closer.

"Haley… what are you doing here?" he asked stopping in front of her. She look great, very professional and Hollywood. She reached out for a hug and he opened his arms, taking his ex-wife into his embrace.

"I came back to visit…." She whispered, feeling his arms lock around her body. "How have you been?" she asked finally stepping back.

"Good… the season is going really well… and I've been… ya know just chilling a lot…" he told her, deciding to leave who he'd been chilling with out. "How's the tour?" He asked, sincerely excited and happy for her.

"Lonely…" she said looking up at the man she loved. Nathan nodded, looking down at the ground. Standing here in front of her, months after claming he would never look at her the same way, he couldn't help but have feelings for her… after all she was _his_ Haley.

"yeah… I got your letters…. Sorry I didn't write back… I just…." He trailed, looking past her. "I didn't know what to say" Haley nodded, fighting back tears.

"Are you busy tonight? Maybe we could go get coffee or… go grab dinner. To catch up and stuff" she said looking at him with hope in her eyes. Nathan thought about it for a moment, really taking everything into consideration. He had plans with Brooke but he felt like he owed it to Haley to spend time with her. Brooke would always be there. Haley was only in town for awhile.

"Yeah… we could do that…" he said opening his car door. "I'll drive… we can swing by later to get you car…" He walked around to the passenger side and opened it for her. Haley smiled, taking his hand and stepping up into his SUV.

---

Brooke walked out of cheerleading practice and headed towards her car. She was excited about her plans with Nathan tonight. She had gone to the store the night before and bought the food she was going to cook for him, and she rented some of his favorite movies. She looked towards her car and almost froze her tracks. Nathan was hugging someone in the parking lot. Her heart dropped a little bit as she realized who it was. She watched as the two talked. Tears began to weld up in her eyes as she saw Nathan help Haley into his car. She fought back her tears as she headed towards her car. She couldn't believe he was with Haley. After everything she had done to him. She climbed into her car and couldn't fight back the tears anymore. She placed her hands on her steering wheel and laid her head down, tears pouring down her face. She pulled her phone out of her purse as it started to ring. It was a text from Nathan.

Nathan – Hey, sorry but something came up that I got 2 take care of. Hope u don't mind. See you later b-davis.

Brooke threw her phone across her passenger seat, sobbing even louder.

---

_Brooke signed online and noticed Nathan was on. She hadn't talked to him since she blew up on him. It wasn't his fault at all. She just got freaked out about how great he had treated her, she wasn't used to that. An IM popped up on her screen. _

_THBall23: Hey, are you okay?_

_2hOt2HaNdLe: yeah… _

_THBall23: You just seemed… weird the other day. I didn't think that one night of us being together would change our friendship…_

_2hOt2HaNdLe: it's my fault. im sorry nate i just freaked out because it felt so amazing being with you but at the same time so scary because i didn't want you to be like all the other guys._

_THBall23: B-davis, you should know by now that I'm __not__ all those other guys_

_2hOt2HaNdLe: then what are we nate? are we friends? are me more? im confused and i hate being confused. that just means that the guy has control over my feelings. _

_THBall23: I don't want to have control over anything. We're friends Brooke. I care about you._

_2hOt2HaNdLe: friends. _

_THBall23: Yeah, I'm closer to you then I've ever been to anyone… _

_2hOt2HaNdLe: well im glad we got that cleared up_

_THBall23: So we're okay?_

_THBall23: …. _

_THBall23: You there?_

_2hOt2HaNdLe: we're good. i have to go study. ttul._

_2hOt2HaNdLe has signed off. _

_Brooke stared at her computer screen. Friends. She could do friends. Friends was safe. She closed her laptop and grabbed her phone, calling the first guy in phone book. Friends also meant she could be with anyone she wanted to be._

---

Brooke and Rachel's party was out of control. There were drunk people packing the townhouse, including every square inch of the deck and small lawn. Nathan and a few of his friends made their way threw the crowd, looking for the hostess.

"Nathan! You came!" Rachel said as they approached her. "Oh and you brought boys!" she clapped her hands, checking each of the guys out.

"Yeah… it's pretty crazy in here. You sure you got this under control?" Nathan asked looking around the room. There were people passing out on the floor and things were breaking everywhere.

"It's cool. Look if you're looking for Brooke…" Rachel paused pulling Nathan closer. "She's already here with another guy…"

"Okay?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well I thought you would be mad or something…" she told him taking a sip of her drink.

"Why would I be mad? We're just friends" He played it off. Rachel smirked, shaking her head.

"Have a drink…" she said handing him and his friends cold beers. "have fun, there's tons of hot, single girls…" she told him, walking off to greet more guests.

---

Brooke pulled the guys shirt over his head, attacking his neck. She was trashed, barley able to keep her eyes open. "Hurry up…" she growled, laying down on the bed and pulling him down on top of her. He attacked ever inch of her body, grabbing and kissing it roughly.

"You want this?" he asked drunkenly. Brooke nodded, leaning her head back. She winced as he entered her, slamming in hard. He went in and out roughly causing Brooke to lose a few breathes. She didn't like this at all. It hurt and he was being way to rough.

"Stop…" Brooke whispered, trying to push him off of her. "You're… you're hurting me…" she cried. He looked down at her and shook his head no. He was enjoying himself way to much. "Please…" she sobbed. She couldn't breathe. She wasn't used to being so out of control. He came inside her and rolled over, leaving Brooke in tears.

---

"Hey Nate… have you seen Brooke anywhere?" Rachel asked as the party was slowly dieing down. Nathan looked up from the girl he was talking to and shook his head no. "Well… can you help me find her?" she asked annoyed.

"Why? I'm sure she's fine…" he said going back to smooth talking the young freshmen.

"Get up Scott…" Rachel said grabbing him up by the arm. "Look…. Something seems off. She's missing and she was really upset about seeing you with Haley. I'm scared she might have done something stupid…"

"When did she see me with Haley..." he asked, confused. Rachel rolled her eyes dragging him towards the bedrooms.

"The other day…. You know when you blew her off to hang out with the ex-wife…." Rachel said opening her bedroom door. The room was empty. "Nate she's really missing…" Rachel told him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Nathan's heart began to race. He'd never seen Rachel cry before so he knew she must have been really worried.

"Well… who was she with" He asked following her back down the stairs.

"I don't know… he left about an hour ago but she wasn't with him…" Rachel said opening the sliding glass door and peering outside. "Nathan… please… I don't understand. I haven't seen her all night."

"Rach…. It'll be okay. I'll go call her…. You keep looking" Nathan said grabbing his phone and heading outside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Hey…" Haley said when Nathan opened the front door, stepping outside to call Brooke.

"Haley… what are you doing here?" He asked putting his phone up to his ear as it began to ring. Haley smiled, opening her mouth to answer, but pausing until he was off the phone. It rang twice before going straight to her voicemail.

"It's Brooke! Leave a message and I'll call ya back…." Nathan sighed, waiting for the beep.

"Brooke, it's Nathan…. Look, please call me back… we need to talk …I'm worried about you" Nathan said before flipping closed the phone.

"What's wrong with Brooke?" Haley asked, sitting next to Nathan after he sat down. He looked over at her and shrugged looking back out towards the street. "Well I came by because I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier…" she said. Nathan's stomach turned as he remembered the events that took place the other night.

"Look… Hales…" he started but paused. For once Nathan was torn. He and Haley had an amazing night the other night. It was almost like before she decided to go on tour. They talked, and walked along the pier. He had even kissed her, in the weakness of the moment.

"Nathan…. I know you probably hadn't planned on kissing me. But it meant a lot to me. I've missed you so much…. "She said reaching out for his arm.

"It isn't that I didn't mean to kiss you. I just got caught up in the moment. And in that moment I saw the old Haley…. But… You're not the old Haley, and I'm not even the old Nathan…" he told her, looking at her. She nodded, looking in his eyes.

"Nathan…. I'd love to see if the new us can make it as a couple… I can't get over you… "She replied, feeling the connection between the two of them. Nathan felt weak and had Rachel not came out the front door, he might have even kissed her again.

"Did she answer her phone?" Rachel said opening the door. Nathan looked back at her quickly, breaking his moment with Haley. "What is she doing here?" Rachel asked pointing to Haley and shooting her a dirty look.

"She came by to say hi…" Nathan said standing up and facing Rachel.

"Well I don't want her here… she's the reason Brooke is all … sad" she replied, now glaring at Haley.

"Hey… I didn't do anything to Brooke" Haley shot back. She stood up and faced Rachel.

"Whatever… aren't you supposed to be touring it up or something?" Rachel asked, rolling her eyes.

"And aren't you supposed to be whoring it up?" Haley replied, stepping towards Rachel

"I wouldn't do that if I were you tutor girl…" Rachel said stepping towards Haley too. "Cause I'll lay your ass out in two seconds."

"Come on girls…" Nathan said stepping in between them. "Haley … I think you should leave" Haley looked up at him and sighed. "I'm sorry… but things have changed too much. I'm your friend…. But that's it" he told her, watching her face go numb. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. Haley nodded, fighting back tears.

"Okay…. Bye Nathan…" she whispered her voice weak and threatening to crack. She walked down the steps and headed back toward her car.

---

Brooke sat in the sand, looking out over the water, tears streaming down her face. She hated everything about her life. She hated her need to be needed and her insecurities. She hated that her parents left her in Tree Hill and never even called to see how she was doing. She hated that Lucas broke her heart and that her bestfriend betrayed her. She hated how Nathan made her feel and how guys only used her. She wanted to be loved. The real love she saw in movies and read in books. She wanted to be needed, and to love back. Brooke picked up a bottle of vodka, took another chug then threw it towards the water, screaming out, her voice echoing in the silent night.

---

Nathan's phone rang and he quickly pulled it out. He was driving towards the river court hoping Brooke somehow ended up there. "Hello?" he answered, turning down the street.

"It's Peyton" she cried into the phone.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, his heart skipping a beat. Peyton never called him, none the less called him crying.

"Brooke sent me a text saying she forgave me and that everything was going to be okay…" she cried harder. "I sent one asking her what her sudden change of heart was about and she replied 'because I'm done feeling this way. I'm done feeling Peyt. I'm done with everything. Goodbye and I love you…'"

"When did she send this?" Nathan asked driving by the court. He didn't see her and his heart began racing. "Peyton…." He yelled, tears almost falling from his own eyes. He knew Brooke was fragile and he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her.

"She sent them just now… I've been writing her back asking where she was and stuff but she isn't replying… Nathan I have a really bad feeling" Peyton sobbed, barely understandable.

"I have to go…" Nathan said shutting his phone and throwing it in the seat next to him. He pulled back into the driveway and put it in park, heading up towards the front door.

"I found her…. She was on the beach" Rachel told him, opening the door.

"Is she inside?" he asked, coming in. She nodded, pointing up towards their bedrooms. Nathan nodded, heading up towards her bedroom.

---

_Nathan bounced the basketball up and down, sitting on the picnic table next to Lucas. They hadn't hung out much lately but Lucas said he really needed to talk to him about Brooke. "So talk…" Nathan said, finally breaking the silence. Lucas nodded, looking over at Nathan then back towards the court. _

"_She's broken you know?" Lucas said looking down at the ground. Nathan raised his eyebrows and shot him a angry look. _

"_Broken…" Nathan repeated, edging him on. _

"_She has a lot of … issues" Lucas clarified. _

"_Everyone has issues… hell you have some issues yourself…" Nathan said standing up. "I didn't come here to hear all your trash talk about Brooke… which is sad coming from you, the person she trusted the most" Lucas shook his head no, breathing in deeply. _

"_I'm not here to talk trash about her. But you need to know what I know…" he said, rubbing his head. "She does a lot of things that … I guess would be considered destructive. Drinking is actually the least of all it… that's why the whole time we were together I let her drink. Because I figured that letting her drink, under my supervision would be better then letting her deal with everything on her own…" Lucas explained. Nathan looked at him intently, listening to every word. "I love her. But it got to be too much. If she wasn't drunk, she'd be crying…. And if I couldn't come by after practice she would break down. She's has a lot of separation anxiety. And she needs to have someone with her at all times…." He continued. "But the worst I guess is when she has her break downs… she really goes off the deep end. She used to threaten to kill herself all the time… if I was busy writing a paper and couldn't come over, I'd get a phone call about how badly she wanted to die. I think she might abuse prescription drugs too… but I couldn't never get proof of that…" Nathan looked at him, shocked. _

"_I … I don't know what to say" Nathan said honestly. Lucas nodded. _

"_It's a lot to handle…" Lucas told him. _

"_What do you think happened to her?" Nathan asked out of curiosity. _

"_I think that someone she trusted … a lot… hurt her" Lucas replied. _

---

Nathan opened the bedroom door and looked in. Brooke was laying on top of her bed, sprawled out every direction. He couldn't help but stare at her, wondering how he hadn't noticed how out of control her behavior was years ago. They'd always been 'friends'. Not bestfriends, or even close friends but they partied a lot together and he'd never seen her out of control.

"Nathan…" she whispered, her eyes barely open. He looked down at her as he walked into her room, closing the door behind him.

"Yeah…" he replied, kneeling down next to the bed so their eyes were in contact. "I was worried about you…" He whispered softly, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Mmmm" Brooke moaned, shutting her eyes again. Nathan continued to lightly rub her forehead.

"Go to sleep…" he whispered, stroking her eyebrows softly. Brooke shook her head no, rolling over.

"I need you…" she whispered, reaching her arms up for him. Nathan took her hand into his and stood up.

"I'm here…" he replied sitting on the edge of bed.

"No…" Brooke grabbed him tightly, pulling him so his chest was almost touching hers, their faces inches apart. "I need you" she moaned, pulling him down even closer. Nathan didn't pull away but he stared at her carefully. She leaned in and kissed him, her tongue going into his mouth. Nathan cringed, tasting the straight vodka. He pulled away but she pulled him back.

"Brooke…" he mumbled in between kisses, placing his hands on both sides of her, holding himself up. She grabbed at his shirt and started to pull it up. "Brooke…. Stop" he whispered, grabbing her wrist.

"I need you….Please…" she whispered. Nathan looked down at her and noticed the tears in her eyes. "I need to feel you Nathan…" she begged, rubbing his back with her hand.

"I'm here for you Brooke but I'm not going to have sex with you. That's not what you need" He said pulling out of her embrace and sitting next to her. She looked at him, with a confused look on her face. He sighed, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his chest. "God Brooke…. When did things go this bad for you? Why didn't I notice how badly you were hurting before?" He asked. Brooke began tearing up again, a few sliding down her cheeks.

"Because everyone has always been so busy with other things. And I pride myself on making sure everyone else is happy before me…." Brooke cried, wiping her tears. Nathan nodded, remembering all the times Brooke tried to get him and Peyton together.

"And I wasn't the greatest friend either" He added, rubbing her arm. She shrugged.

"I was never very nice to you…" she bit her lip. "I saw you with Haley…. I hope that everything works out how you want it to Nate"

"I shouldn't have lied to you Brooke… I just didn't want you to get hurt. But nothing happened with me and Haley. We're friends and that's all we'll ever be…." He told her, deciding to leave out their kisses. "But what really scares me is what you said to Peyton" He looked down at her, wanting her to offer information instead of him pulling it out of her. Brooke looked forward at her dresser where pictures of her and former bestfriend were still in frames.

"I was just really drunk…" she replied, shrugging. "I was upset about seeing you and Haley together and …" she paused, debating whether to tell him about the guy. "I slept with this guy tonight" she added, looking towards the floor.

"Yeah I heard…"

"Well it went bad…. And I got really upset that I put myself in the position. I went to the beach with a cooler of vodka and drank all the pain away" she told him, finally looking up at him.

"It went bad? What does that mean?" Nathan asked, concern filling his voice. Brooke didn't want to answer him so she looked away quickly. "Brooke…"

"We were having fun and I was really feeling it until…" She couldn't back her tears anymore. She had never felt so violated. "He was really rough…" she sobbed. "I asked him to stop but he didn't…" She turned towards him and fell into his arms, sobbing on his chest. Nathan wrapped both his arms around her and held her, rubbing her back softly.

"Why didn't you come get me?" he asked, choking on his own voice.

"I did. But you were with some girl…and I knew it was my fault anyways…." She sobbed. Nathan sighed, exhaling sharply.

"Who was it" he asked. No one touched the girls he cared about.

"You don't know him…" she whispered. "Will you please stay with me tonight…" she asked, pulling the covers from under herself and climbing under them. Nathan nodded climbing in with her. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"I'll never let anything happen to you again B-Davis" he whispered just as she was about to fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate any feedback or comments. **

**Chapter Seven**

The sun came through Brooke's window, slowly waking Nathan from his deep sleep. He opened his eyes, looking around the room and then next to him where Brooke was still sleeping. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. Brooke stirred, rolling over into him. A smile crept on her face as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey…" she whispered her voice raspy. Nathan smiled looking down at her.

"Hey beautiful…" he replied sitting up. Brooke smirked, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure I look amazingly beautiful after everything that happened last night" she replied, pulling the covers back over her body and leaning her head back in the pillows. "I'm sorry for everything. I acted really stupid…." She added looking back up at him.

"It happens…. Everyone does it" Nathan said, defending her. Truth was he hoped it never happened again because she had really scared him. Brooke shrugged, yawning.

"But I'm sure I was a wreck… and you didn't have to take care of me." She smiled looking down at her hands. "You're always saving me..." she whispered, the words echoing her bestfriends.

"Sometimes we all need a little saving…" he told her. She nodded, smiling.

"Thank you Nathan Scott. You're an amazing guy…" she whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I'm gonna go shower… I'll make you breakfast" she smiled, climbing out of bed and heading towards the shower.

---

Haley knocked on Lucas's bedroom door and stood back, waiting for an answer. "Lucas… I need you to be honest wit me" she said, the second he opened the door. "You've always been honest with me…." Lucas nodded slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked stepping aside for her to come in.

"I don't know. I lost track of time." Haley said sitting down on his bed. "I made the right choice, leaving Tree hill… right?" she asked, looking up at her bestfriend. Lucas sighed, closing the door and walking towards his bed.

"Hales I can't answer that for you. Only you know that answer" he told her. She shook her head no.

"Did I make the biggest mistake of my life?" she asked, rewording her question.

"I think you made a decision. And sometimes our decisions aren't always the greatest but at the time that was what you wanted" Lucas reminded her, sitting down next to her. "What happened Haley… Why are you doing this to yourself"

"I found this…." Haley said digging in her purse and pulling out a piece of paper. She handed it to Lucas and he read over the lyrics. It was a song Nathan had written to Haley the first time she left. "He really cared about me Lucas and I left… and then came back. He gave me and another chance…." Haley whispered, reading the words herself.

"Things have changed… You two are completely different people now" Lucas replied, handing her back the paper.

"So I need to let him go?" Haley stated looking down at the words.

"I thought you had let him go…" Lucas asked, confused. "That was why you left. You had let him go and needed to move on…" Haley nodded, digging in her purse again.

"I found this in his room Lucas… I don't think he read it yet though…"she replied, opening the envelope. He recognized the handwriting; he had received many envelopes like that in that past. "Brooke is in love with him" she stated handing him the notebook paper.

---

_Brooke looked down at the note she had just written. She had never done anything like this before but when it came to him… she was finding that she did new things everyday. _

_**I love you more than I should  
So much more than is good for me  
More than is good **_

Oh the timing is cruel  
Oh I need and don't want to need  
More than I should

I am falling, say my name  
And I'll lie in the sound  
What is love, but whatever  
My heart needs around

Oh my sheet is so thin  
So I say I can't sleep because  
It's so very cold

Oh but I know what I need  
And if you were just near to me  
Would you go...

I am falling, say my name  
And I'll lie in the sound  
What is love, but whatever  
My heart needs around

I am falling, say my name  
And I'll lie in the sound  
What is love, but whatever  
My heart needs around

And it needs you too much now

_**Song really written by Trespassers William (Lie in the Sound):**_

_Brooke folded up the paper and put it in an envelope. She started it before writing his name on it. She placed it in her bag, grabbing her car keys and heading downstairs. _

---

Lucas shot the ball and waited, the crowd was silent, as it traveled threw the air. Whoosh. The crowd went wild as everyone joined the new state champions on the floor of the gym. Brooke shook her pom-poms up in the air as she watched many of the cheerleaders run to their boyfriends to hug them. She smiled, even as she watched Peyton jump into Lucas's arms. She looked up in the crowed and saw even more couples celebrating the big win.

"Nice routine…" Nathan said, coming up behind Brooke with a smirk on his face.

"Nathan! Good game!" She said jumping into his open arms. She pulled away and smiled at him. "How does it feel?" she asked pretty excited herself.

"Pretty damn good…." he replied. She nodded, looking back at her cheerleaders who were getting ready for the final, winning cheer.

"Hey, I'll see ya later!" She told him, skipping back towards them. Nathan continued to smile, watching as she got in the front row.

"Good game brother…" Lucas said standing next to him. Nathan nodded, shaking hands with him.

"You too man. Great shot…" Nathan replied looking back at the girls. "You going to the party?" he asked. He was having a huge party at his parents beach house and had invited everyone on the team.

"Yeah, me and Peyton are gonna stop by after we grab something to eat" Lucas said clapping as they announced Peyton's name over the speakers.

---

Brooke watched as everyone around her got trashed. She wanted a drink herself but she knew that after the last night of drinking, she really needed to work on being sober again. She looked around for Nathan, spotting him over by the t.v.

"Hey you" Brooke said, wrapping her arm around Nathan's side and placing her chin on his shoulder. "What you doing?" she asked playfully. She had noticed how good he looked at the game and couldn't keep him out of her thoughts.

"He's getting his ass kicked in Halo" Skills answered for him. Brooke laughed, but Nathan shook his head, shooting the people on the screen.

"Well when your done… you wanna go upstairs with me…" she whispered in ear. Nathan's finger slipped on the controller and he died. He looked over at her and grinned. She nodded her head towards the staircase and raised her eye brow.

"Hey… I'll be back in a little bit…" Nathan muttered, following her around the couch and towards the stairs. She took his hand and led him to his bedroom, attacking him the second his bedroom door was closed.

"I want you so bad Nathan…." Brooke moaned in his ear, pushing him down onto the bed, straddling his leg. She quickly lifted her shirt over head revealing her bright pink bra. She leaned back down and pressed her lips up against his, their tongues exploring each others. Nathan ran his hand up her bare leg until he got to her hips, unbuttoning her shorts. He flipped her over and pulled his own shirt over his head.

"You sure" he asked her, attacking her neck with his tongue. Brooke nodded, pulling his shorts down and examining his body. He was gorgeous. Nathan watched her face as he entered her, going slow. "I love your body…" Nathan whispered, watching as her breasts bounced. Brooke smiled, running his finger nails down his stomach.

"Oh my … god… Nathan…" she moaned loudly.

A loud knock came from the bedroom door before it swung open. Nathan turned around quickly, looking behind him.

"Nathan?" Peyton asked, her face flushing red.

"Brooke!?" Lucas shouted, as Brooke peered around Nathan. She bit her lip, laying back down and grabbing the sheets, wrapping them around herself.

"Hey have you guys seen Nathan…" Haley asked, coming up behind the two. She looked in the room and stopped in her tracks. "Oh my god…" she whispered, covering her mouth.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Oh my god…" Haley whispered, covering her mouth. She locked eyes with Nathan, who quickly covered himself. The room filled with tension as the three of them stared at Brooke and Nathan, no one saying a word. 

"Uhmmm" Brooke started, looking over at Nathan. "Could you guys like…. Shut the door?" she asked readjusting the sheets. She wasn't that embarrassed, this had happened plenty of times before. But she knew there would be hell to pay because of who it was with. Lucas reached in front of Peyton and grabbed the handle, pulling the door shut.

"I think I'm going to be sick…." Haley whispered, still covering her mouth. Lucas frowned, pulling her into a hug. 

"Is it really much of a surprise?" Peyton finally spoke up. Lucas and Haley both looked over at her. "I mean, because they were spending so much time together" 

"Or it could be because Brooke is a slut…" Haley replied, on the verge of tears. 

"That's a little rude don't you think?" Peyton shot back, defending her former bestfriend out of instinct. Haley rolled her eyes, looking away. 

"Says the girl who slept with her bestfriend boyfriend?" Haley snapped. Peyton looked at her with a shocked expression on her face. "I'm sorry… that was out of line…" Haley instantly added, realizing she had crossed the line. 

"Look, they're allowed to do whatever they want to do…" Lucas started, looking between his bestfriend and girlfriend. "That sucks if they're choosing to do it with each other because of all the ties we have to them…. But that's their choice…" Peyton nodded, agreeing with him. 

"I guess I'd rather see her being with him then some random guy…" Peyton add. "I know he would never hurt her intentionally" Haley sighed, looking away. "And I know that has to hurt, a lot, Hales… but you were the one who left him. You can't blame him for moving on with his life. And Brooke… she'd perfect for him." Haley nodded, not wanting it to be the truth, but knowing it was. She had left him. She had the choice be with him and it wasn't what she wanted. 

"You're right…" she whispered softly. 

---

"I don't wanna go out there" Brooke whispered, pacing back and forth. Nathan sat on the bed and looked up at her. They were both fully clothed now but deciding how to face the drama on the other side of the door. 

"We didn't do anything wrong…" Nathan told her, reaching out for her hand, stopping her. She nodded, looking down. 

"I know but … Did you see Haley's face? She was crushed…" she whispered, sitting down in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her legs, holding her up. "I know what it's like to be that crushed…" she continued. 

"But me and her aren't together….you and him were" he told her, pulling her closer. "Brooke… I need to ask you something" She pulled away, looking him in the eyes. "We aren't just friends anymore….I mean, I don't look at you as just my friend. I see you as this amazing girl who I look forward to seeing everyday. And if I don't see you, I miss you." Brooke eyed him carefully. "I'm in love with you B-Davis…" he whispered watching her reaction. She stared at him intently. "Say something…" he begged, after a moment of silence. 

"I'm in love with you too" she whispered, leaning in and kissing him softly. She closed her eyes and felt the love Nathan was giving her. She pulled away and smiled, kissing him one last time. "Should we go face them?" she asked, standing up and taking his hand into her own. She took a deep breathe and opened the door, three faces staring back at her. She smiled weakly, looking over at Nathan. 

"We're sorry that we walked in…" Peyton started first, smiling at Brooke. 

"Yeah we were just looking for you guys…." Lucas added. Haley nodded, looking at Brooke and Nathan's hands. "We want you two to know that despite everything that has happened we still care about you two…." 

"Nathan and I are together…" Brooke cut Lucas off. Everyone looked at them wide eyed, even Nathan who hadn't expected her to say that. "We've fallen in love with each other…" she added. 

"Congratulations…." Peyton said with a sincere smile on her face. She put her arms out to Brooke, hugging her. Brooke let go of Nathan's hand and hugged her bestfriend. "I've missed you Brooke…" she whispered into Brooke hair. 

"I've missed you too…." Brooke replied, her voice cracking as the tears threatened her eyes. 

"I'm so sorry for everything I did" Peyton added. Brooke nodded, pulling out of their hug. 

"I know you are…" Brooke whipped Peyton's tears off her cheeks before looking at Lucas who just smiled. 

"Come here you…" He said pulling her into a hug too. "I'm glad you're happy…" he told her, holding her close. Brooke nodded, closing her eyes. Nathan went over to Haley who just stood back. 

"I'm sorry…." He said noticing the tears in her eyes. Haley put her finger up to his lips and stopped him. 

"Don't be Nathan…. This is my own fault. I'm happy for you… All I want is for you to be happy" she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. She hugged him close for a second before letting him go. She looked over at Brooke and smiled weakly. 

---

Brooke laid her towel out on the beach and set up all her stuff around her. Magazines, ipod, tanning oil, all the essentials. It was a beautiful day in Tree Hill and she planned on taking full advantage of it by building up her tan. She laid back, placing her sunglasses over her eyes and closing her eyes.

"Mind if I join you?" Haley asked, coming up next to her. Brooke opened her eyes and looked up at her. 

"Not at all" Brooke replied hesitantly, moving her things over for Haley to sit down. 

"It's beautiful out…." Haley noted, looking up at the clear blue sky. Brooke nodded, looking at her. "So I wanted to talk to you about this whole… Nathan thing" Brooke's stomach turned as she nodded in agreement. "I'll be okay with it… And I want you to know that" 

"Haley…" Brooke whispered. "I never meant to hurt you" 

"I know…" Haley replied, her voice cracking. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. Brooke frowned, sitting up and hugging Haley close. 

"I'm so sorry…" She whispered. She hated Haley for what she did to Nathan… but she always respected her. 

"Don't be sorry…. You mended what I left broken and maybe that's what destiny was…." Haley replied, smiling softly. Brooke nodded, feel her own tears building up. 

"He loves you…." Brooke whispered, smiling at her. "He always will too" Haley nodded, looking out at the water. 

"And I'll always love him… But I sincerely want you two to be happy" she answered looking back at Brooke. 

"Thank you Haley… you have no idea how much that means to me" she said hugging Haley again. 

A/N—Thank you again for the reviews. I'm doing something a bit different in the next chapter. I'd been thinking about it for a few days and decided that instead of writing chapter after chapter of Nathan and Brooke dating, I'd jump ahead a bit and then use flashbacks again to fill in the past. I hope you all enjoy it better that way. 

Review please—let me know if there's anything you'd like to see happen ). I have an idea that I think is going to work out well but I love input. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine (1 Year later)**

The sun came through the blinds as Nathan slowly woke up. He felt like he had just been hit by a train. He opened his eyes and looked around the bedroom. He moaned, rubbing his head, and trying to think what had happened the night before. He didn't even remember. All he remembered was being pissed and drinking… a lot. He rolled over and his heart dropped. 

"Hey Nathan…." Theresa smiled, leaning towards him and rubbing her hand on his bare chest. Nathan's heart raced as he tried to understand why she was next to him. 

"Wha…" was all he managed to get out. He felt sick to his stomach. She kept smiling at him seductively. 

"Last night was a lot of fun…" she whispered, kissing his chest and up to his ear. Nathan felt his heart crushing as the previous night slowly came back to him. He couldn't move none the less push her off of him. He closed his eyes, sighing, realizing all he had to lose. 

----

Brooke pulled her car into the driveway and climbed out, looking at the familiar house. She took a deep breathe walking towards the side door. She knocked softly before stepping back and waiting for an answer. It opened slowly, revealing Lucas. 

"Brooke… what's wrong?" Lucas asked, sleepiness turning to concern quickly. 

"He broke my heart…" she whispered, tears continuing to fall down her eyes. Lucas sighed, opening his arms to his ex-girlfriend. Brooke walked into his hug and sobbed, feeling her knees go weak. Lucas held her up as she cried. 

"It's okay Brooke…" his whispered, rubbing her back. She shook her head no, her hair bouncing in her messy ponytail. 

"Nothing is going to be okay Lucas…" she sobbed harder. 

"Lucas?" Peyton questioned coming out of the bathroom. She looked at Lucas and Brooke with a questioning gaze. "Brooke, what's wrong?" she asked, coming up behind her. Brooke let go of Lucas and turned to Peyton. 

"Nathan… he left me" she sobbed, falling into her bestfriends embrace. Peyton hugged her tight, looking at Lucas for answers. He shrugged, rubbing Brooke's back. 

"What happened…" she asked, urging Brooke to fill in the missing details. Brooke couldn't speak. Her throat was tight. She just sobbed in the arms of her bestfriend. 

----

"You need to leave" Nathan said angrily, grabbing Therese's clothes and throwing them at her. She smiled grabbing them and crawling towards him on the bed. 

"You weren't saying that last night…." She whispered, licking her lips. 

"Yeah, well whatever happened last night was a fucking mistake…" Nathan said, pacing back and forth. His heart was still racing as he looked at her, laying on the bed in some pin up star pose. "Fucking get dressed…." He cursed grabbing her by the arm and pulling her up.

"Whoa… Nate… I didn't know you liked it rough…" she smirked. 

"I'm not playing with you. You need to get dressed and get the hell out of here" he told her pushing her towards the bathroom. 

"And I wasn't playing while I was fucking you either…." She said sliding her top on. The words ripped through Nathan's heart like a knife. Hearing them sounded worse then knowing what he had done. 

"None of this is every going to be spoken about…." Nathan said storming towards her. A rage took over him as he grabbed her arm and pushed her up against the wall. "ever again…" he finished, clenching his fists. Normally this would have scared her but she just smiled. 

"Well…. Lets just hope Brooke doesn't hear about this little romp through the grapevine" she said pulling her skirt over her hips. "Because I'm pretty sure this would crush her little world wouldn't it?" she replied grabbing her purse and heading towards the door. "See you tomorrow Nate…" she waved, biting her lip. 

----

"Did she say anything to you?" Lucas asked as Peyton came into the kitchen. She shook her head, sitting down next to him. 

"She couldn't even speak. I've never seen her so hurt Lucas… not even when she found out about…" she trailed off shrugging her shoulders. "What could he have done?" 

"I don't know. I saw him a few days ago at practice and he seemed fine. He didn't mention that they were having any problems." Lucas replied, taking Peyton's hand. "You okay?" he asked looking at his girlfriend. She nodded, smiling a little.

"Honestly?" she whispered looking up at him. "I just… I'm not gonna lie. I was a little jealous that she came to you. I mean, she probably knew I was here. But she needed you… and that made me a little jealous" she smirked. "I know… stupid" Lucas shook his head no. 

"Like you said…. She probably knew you'd be here and I was just the first person to answer the door" Lucas assured her. 

"Yeah but she feels safe with you…. She always has" she added, nodding her head. "And I'm okay with that" 

"Peyton you never have anything to worry about…." He said leaning in to kiss her. 

"I know, just sometimes I just think what would stop you from going back to her. You said you'd always love her…."she paused, wanting him to speak. He nodded, looking towards his bedroom door. 

"I do love her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Things have changed but I'll always be there for her. No matter what" he told her, pushing her hair behind her ear. "But you Peyton… I love you…. More then anything" She smiled, leaning into his shoulder. 

----

Nathan called her phone, over and over, but it was turned off every time. "God damnit…." He said throwing his phone across the room. He put his head in his hands, for the first time in his life he felt tears coming on. He stood up and slammed his fist against the wall before picking up the trophy on his dresser and throwing it across the room. He was enraged, but more at himself then anything. 

"You know… Brooke's room looks a lot like this…" Rachel said walking through his door. Nathan jumped, startled by his presence. 

"Where is she?" he asked, desperation filling his voice. 

"If I knew… I wouldn't be here…" she whispered staring at him. Nathan sighed, sitting down on the bed next to her. 

"I fucked up…." He whispered his voice cracking. 

"I know you did…" she whispered, wrapping her arm around him. Nathan knew she didn't know about Theresa. Nathan shook his head, looking at his dresser, his eyes falling on a picture of his dad.

----

_Brooke sat on his bed waiting for him to get home from practice. She felt like she was going to be sick. She heard the front door open and seconds later him heading up the stairs. _

"_Baby… what are you doing here?" he asked the second he walked in. Brooke's eyes matched his. "What's wrong?" he asked noticing the tears in her eyes. He went to her, kneeling down next to her and wrapping his arm around her. _

"_Nathan…" she choked out. He looked at with concern. "You're going to hate me…" she cried, feeling every emotion possible rushing through her body. _

"_What's wrong?" he asked again. His own stomach was in knots now. _

"_You always said you wanted to be nothing like your dad….." she cried even harder. Nathan was confused._

"_Is this about high flyers? Because I was thinking today that I might not go… I'd rather spend the summer here with you" he told her, taking her hand into his. She shook her head no, looking down at their hands. _

"_Nathan..." she whispered again. "I'm pregnant"_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

_Nathan stared at her in complete shock. "How?" was the first think that came to his mind. Brooke laughed a sadden laugh. _

"_See every time you fuck me…you put your little spermies inside of me. That makes a baby" she replied dryly. _

"_I know how a baby is made… but you're on the pill... Aren't you?" He asked. She nodded, biting her lip. _

"_But I drink and smoke and that doesn't make it one hundred percent effective" she cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. _

"_You never told me that…." He replied, letting go of her had and backing away from her. _

"_I didn't think I had too!" she said defensively. "I figured mr. sex addict Nathan would know" He looked at her sharply, not believe any of this. "And plus… it's not like you were quick to use a condom…" she added, not willing to take all the blame in this. _

"_You told me I didn't have to" he shouted back, startling her. She looked at him, shaking her head. "Well… you can't have this baby" he told her, a little bit calmer. Brooke sobbed softly, looking down at her hands in her lap. "You know that right? I'm not ready to be a dad yet …." _

"_And I look like I'm ready for this?" She yelled, standing up and grabbing her bag. _

"_Brooke…." He yelled back, grabbing her arm to stop her. She looked back at him with agony. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, sensing something was wrong. _

"_I can't get an abortion…" she sobbed. She wanted him to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay. But it was clear that was not the reaction he was going to give her. _

"_The fuck you mean you cant get an abortion?" he asked, anger filling his veins. _

"_I'm 3 and a half months pregnant…." She felt light headed. She reached out for his dresser for support. _

"_What?" he screamed at her, making her feeling even more nauseous. "Are you fucking kidding me? And you didn't think it was important to tell me months ago?" _

"_I just found out asshole!" she screamed back. Her face was red and tears were pouring down her cheeks. _

"_Well you were obviously missing your periods…" he yelled again. She shook her head, heading towards the door. "You're not leaving…. We're going to figure this out…" he said grabbing her again. She pushed him away, glaring at him. _

"_Get this through your fucking head Nathan… there is nothing we can do. I have to have this baby, with or without you." The words cut through him sharply. This was everything he had always not wanted. He stared at her in disbelief. _

"_How do I even know it's mine?" The words came out before he had a chance to think them over. She looked at him like he had slapped her. _

----

Rachel rubbed Nathan's back slowly, both of them staring at a photo of Dan. "You know…" she finally broke the silence. "Brooke was going to lie to you. She was going to tell you that she had cheated on you and that the baby wasn't yours" she whispered, looking at him. "That way you'd be off the hook…. But I convinced her that would be a mistake… because the love you two shared is too strong to be broken over this…" 

"I cant have a baby…" he whispered, his voice still cracking. "I don't want Dan's life…." 

"You don't have to have Dan's life. You can have Keith's life…." She replied, nodding her head. "You can be an amazing dad, and really step up for Brooke…. If you walk away, then you're having Dan's life…" 

"We can't afford a baby" he stated, there were a million more reasons why he couldn't be a dad. 

"Brooke has a lot of money saved up in her saving account…" Rachel continued, determined to make him accept this. Nathan sighed, rubbing his head. "Nathan…. This is what happens when people have sex without condoms. You can't blame her because the birth control didn't work. From what I've heard you never use condoms…. Even back when you were the male version of a slut. Didn't you ever think about that?" He nodded, because he had. But in the past he was reckless, now he liked everything planned. 

"But she had to have known…. She wasn't getting periods" He reasoned, looking at her. 

"Brooke has always had a complicated cycle… she doesn't always eat enough, and sometimes she works out way too much. Those factors lead to girls missing their periods, which would explain why she didn't think anything of it….." Rachel replied. "I cant tell you what do to Nathan… but Brooke loves you and if you turn your back on her now, it's going to forever change her…." She whispered, standing up and walking towards his door. "And Nathan…. You'd be an excellent father" 

----

Lucas walked into his bedroom and looked over at Brooke, who was curled up in his bed. She looked sweet and innocent laying there. He made his way over the edge and kneeled down, reaching over to brush some hair off her face. Brooke's eyes fluttered open, locking with his. 

"Hi …." He whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. Brooke's face didn't change, she stared at him blankly. "Peyton went to school… she'll grab your stuff for you" he told her, rubbing her arm softly. "You wanna talk about what happened?" he asked. Brooke shook her head no, sitting up. Her eyes bounced around his face slowly, like she was memorizing it. "Brooke…." He whispered, feeling the tension. 

"Lucas…" she whispered back their faces now inches apart. He leaned in and kissed her softly, instantly remembering the way she tasted. Brooke didn't try to stop him, instead she closed her eyes and leaned back slowly, taking him with her. Lucas positioned himself above her, kissing her more passionately. He slowly ran his hands up the side of her stomach, making her feel warm inside. Kissing her made him want more from her. He missed her touch, he missed her kisses. He loved Peyton but there was always something about Brooke he missed more. Brooke moaned softly as he sucked on her neck, causing her to wrap her arms around him. He kissed her chest, right above the neckline on her tank top. Tears began to fill Brooke's eyes as her warm, loving feeling turned to agony and guilt. Lucas pulled back and instantly regretted kissing her. 

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, moving back on the bed. Brooke shook her head no, wiping her tears. 

"You don't have to be sorry…." She replied, looking at him. Something about Lucas was safe, familiar. "Lucas…" she choked out, placing her hand on her stomach nonchalantly. "I'm pregnant…." She whispered softly. 

----

"_How dare you Nathan Scott" Brooke said through clenched teeth. Her tears burned her cheeks as she glared at him. _

"_Hey… just saying. You've always been known as the slut. And who better to pin a baby on then the big basketball star going places?" Nathan shot back. He himself couldn't believe these words were coming out of his mouth. _

"_You're an asshole…" she yelled, walking out of his bedroom. He followed her down the stairs. _

"_Don't act like it didn't cross your mind… having a baby with me would be better then having one with Lucas…." Brooke turned around and slapped him, hard. _

"_Fuck you" she screamed, heading towards the front door. _

"_No! Fuck you Brooke Davis" he yelled, slamming the door the second she walked out of it. Nathan grabbed the table in the foyer and threw it across the room, things shattering into pieces. _

----

Nathan bounced the ball before shooting it at the net, scoring as usual. He glanced up when he heard heels clicking, coming his way. It was Haley. She was back in town for a while before things got crazy again. 

"Hey…." She said grabbing the ball and throwing it back to him.

"Hi Haley…" Nathan replied, shooting the ball again. She smiled, grabbing it and tossing it back. 

"You okay?" She asked coming towards him. He nodded, dribbling the ball. "You just seem a little down" she added standing in front of him. 

"I really messed things up with Brooke…" He told her, going around her and shooting the ball again. 

"Yeah, Peyton told me at school today that Brooke showed up at Lucas's this morning in tears…" Haley said turning around and watching him grab the ball. 

"She went to Lucas?" he asked, a little annoyed by the fact she sought comfort in her ex-boyfriend. Haley nodded, walking back towards him. 

"But I'm sure it was because Peyton's been sleeping over there a lot…" Haley replied, realizing she might have caused some problems by saying that. Nathan shrugged, shooting the ball again. "If you need someone to talk to… I'm here for you Nathan"

"I know Hales…" he said running back behind her and shooting. "I just royally messed up and I don't think anything I do can fix this."

"Brooke is a forgiving person Nathan…" Her and Brooke had become really good friends over the past year. 

"She might be forgiving but she only knows the half of it" he said, referring to waking up next to Theresa this morning. "I said some really hurtful things"

"She loves you Nathan and I truly think if you just talk to her…. She'll understand everything" Haley persisted. 

"She's pregnant Hales… and I snapped on her. I told her it was her fault and that I doubted the baby was mine. I don't think she'll ever forgive me" He said, shooting the ball again. Haley stared at him with a shocked look on her face.

"Wow…" she whispered, looking at her ex-husband. "Are you sure that is yours?" she asked, trying to think of every possible angle. He sighed nodding his head and sitting on the bench. 

"I'm pretty sure she's never cheated on me…. And we didn't use condoms because she's on birth control but I guess it's not always that effective…" he trailed off looking at her. 

"Yeah there are always different factors…." She said with a nod. "This might sound completely ridiculous…. But is there a chance you were hoping for this?" she asked, waiting his heated response. She stuck her hands up as his face grew angry. "Hear me out…. Me and you were married but still using condoms, and I was even on birth control. Is there maybe a reason you didn't with her?" she asked trying to make scenes. Nathan shrugged, thinking about. He had never used a condom with Brooke, even before they were dating. 

"I don't know…" he finally answered. 

"Well have you two talked about if she's going to keep it?" she prodded. He nodded, bouncing the ball up and down. 

"She can't have an abortion…. She's already 3 and a half months pregnant" he told her. She nodded, biting her lip. "I cant have a baby Hales. I'm not ready and I can't support them. I was going to go to college and then the NBA. This isn't what I wanted" 

"Sometimes what you want doesn't always work out Nathan. But you're not the type of person to turn your back on someone you truly care about. And I know you love Brooke. Don't lose sight of that. Everything else will work out because you are nothing like your dad. You'll step up and you'll take care of them….You always make things work" she said patting him on the back. 

----

Brooke walked along the River Court, looking out at the water. She couldn't believe how much things had change in only a few days. Two days ago she sat in her bathroom, scared to death of the results of a stupid stick. The only thing that kept her from not making up a story about how she got pregnant was her love for Nathan, and the love she thought her had for her. She knew he was going to be scared too but she never thought he'd say the heartbreaking things he said. She sat down on the edge of the dock and looked out over the water. She'd never felt so scared and so alone in her entire life. Yet she had to be strong for the baby she had growing inside of her. She looked down at her small belly and placed her hands on it, a few tears coming down her cheeks. 

---- 

Nathan watched as Brooke sat on the edge of the dock. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what Haley had said. He took a deep breathe and slowly walked towards her. 

"Brooke…." He whispered, not wanting to startle her. Brooke didn't turn around, she just looked out over the water. He stood behind her, tears in his own eyes. "Brooke…" he whispered again. He needed her just as bad as she needed him. He was scared too. He walked closer to her and kneeled down behind her, touching her side softly. Brooke flitched but refused to turn around. "I'm sorry…." He whispered softly, placing his hand under her arms and lifting her up. She didn't fight him but wouldn't look at him. He took her into his arms, holding her close but loosely. She didn't wrap her arms around him but she did allow her head to fall into his shoulder. 

"You always said you'd be there for me…" she sobbed softly, her voice shaking. Nathan nodded, holding her closer. 

"I know… and I fucked up" he whispered, his own voice cracking. Brooke nodded, finally reaching up and wrapping her arms around his back. 

"I'm so scared…." She whispered into his chest. 

"I am too Brooke…" he replied closing his eyes. He wished this could all just be a dream. But he knew that they'd be able to get through it. They'd already been through hell and back. 


	11. Chapter 11

A/N --- I decided to jump ahead again. Sorry guys! I get bored writing "day by day" events and would rather write about bigger events and do flashbacks for the smaller stuff. I already know where I want my story to go, but don't feel like writing every single day, week, month, to get there. Hope you all like. Read and Review. I enjoy feedback. Thanks!

**Chapter Eleven**

_It had been the worst day of Nathan's life. He had been at the state basketball game, in the final quarter, needing one basket to win. Lucas had the ball and was looking for someone to open up. He looked over at Nathan and motioned for him to go left, before throwing him the ball. Nathan caught it, shooting the ball up in the air and scoring for the win. The crowd went crazy as the One Tree Hill Raven's filled the basketball court, cheering the team on. He knew something was wrong the second he saw Rachel's face. He hadn't noticed it through the game but now staring back at him he knew it was Brooke. She ran over to him, tears already streaming down her cheeks. _

"_What's wrong" was all he could get out as Rachel's body pressed against his. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. _

"_It's Brooke…" Rachel sobbed, looking down at her phone. "Nathan… I'm so sorry" she sobbed into his chest. "She lost the baby…." Nathan looked straight ahead as he continued to hold Rachel in his arms. It only took seconds for the people around him to realize something was wrong and he was soon joined by Peyton, Lucas and even his mother. _

_----_

_Everything was a blur. People were rushing all around him, quickly packing their bags to get back to Tree Hill. He learned slowly what had happened to Brooke and their baby. She had been home alone at the apartment when someone broke in through the front window. She locked her bedroom door but the intruder kicked it in, not realizing anyone was home and alarmed that Brooke might have seen his identity he viciously attacked her. She was barely holding on to her own life when paramedics arrived after being notified by her neighbor that something seemed odd about the broken window. _

"_Nathan…" his mom said softly, coming up behind him. "I packed your stuff up. We're just waiting for the cab." He looked at her with a blank stare. He should have been with her. He shouldn't have gone to state even though she said she wanted him too. "Sweetie… there is nothing you could have done to prevent this…" she told him, sitting next to him on the bed. _

"_I should have been there to protect her. I told her I'd always protect her…." He replied emotionless. Deb nodded, placing her hand on his back. _

"_You can not blame yourself. She needs you to be strong and help her through this." She added, rubbing her hand along his back slowly. _

"_Did they find the guy who did it?" He asked, Deb recognizing his angry eyes to be those of Dan's. Deb shook her head no, looking at her son. _

"_And it's not your job to either Nathan…. The police already have a few leads and Brooke is cooperating with them" she told her son. _

"_She shouldn't be alone…" Nathan said, standing up. Deb followed him, grabbing his arm. _

"_Nathan…. We'll be back in Tree Hill in an hour…. There is no point in putting yourself through this. When we get to the hospital she needs you to be strong….." Deb said watching for the first time as her sons eyes welding up with tears. She put her arms out for him to step into. _

"_I wanted that baby so bad…" Nathan whispered, tears actually escaping his eyes. "I was scared… but once I saw Brooke's belly growing…. But I wanted her so bad…." Deb pulled back and whipped his tears. _

"_You knew it was a girl?" she asked, soothingly. _

"_We were going to tell everyone after state… her name was going to be Ava Rose Scott…God mom she was supposed to born in a few months. She was gonna be my little girl… how could someone do this?" he cried again, his mother pulling him back into her arms. _

----

(4 months later)

Brooke watched as everyone around her drank. It was senior year and with only 2 months left everyone was more then anxious to be done. She ran her finger along the rim of her plastic cup, peering into it. It was her 7th or 8th drink of the night, she couldn't remember but even in her drunken state she felt empty. Her baby was gone and with that she soon lost the man she had grown to love. It started as a nasty rumor, that later become true. He cheated on her with Theresa. She had been willing to forgive him but Nathan quickly fell into a darker place after the lose of his daughter. It scared Brooke how obsessed he was with finding the guy who had attacked her. 

Brooke sighed, looking back around the room before sliding off her stool and heading towards the back of the house. She stumbled onto the deck and looked up, almost colliding with Nathan. He looked at her, blatantly drunk. 

"Brooke…" Nathan said, holding his cup in his hand. "Why are you here…. You're supposed to still be taking it easy…." His words were slurred and she could smell the alcohol on his breathe. 

"I'm fine…" she said looking past him. She couldn't do this. She couldn't stand here and look at him knowing her daughter was supposed to have his baby blue eyes. "I have to go…" she whispered walking past him. Nathan turned and watched as she made her way down the stairs and towards a group of people. 

"You okay?" Rachel asked, coming up behind him. 

"She's supposed to be resting…" Nathan said, still watching her. Rachel sighed, standing next to him and watching bestfriend talk to some girls. 

"She's doing a lot better…" Rachel informed him. They had moved out of the apartment because every night Brooke slept there she woke up from nightmares. 

"She shouldn't be drinking so soon though…. It's not good for her body…." Nathan continued. 

"She's mending a broken heart Nathan… Don't you know that alcohol's the best way to do it?" she asked, tapping his cup and walking past him towards her bestfriend. 

----

"_Brooke…" Nathan said rushing into the hospital room. Brooke's wet eyes fluttered open. "I'm so sorry…" he said pulling her into his arms. She had bruises on her face and was hooked up to all kinds of machines. Brooke buried her head into his neck and for the first time since the attack she felt safe. Nathan's arms were safe. "I'm so sorry Brooke… I should have been there" he whispered again. He pulled away and pushed her hair off her wet cheeks. Brooke couldn't speak. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, reaching for his hand. _

"_Stay with me…." She whispered, her body relaxing. He nodded, shifting his body in the bed and watching as she drifted into a deep sleep. He was going to find out who killed his baby girl if it was the last thing he did. _


End file.
